New delhi: Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, the world No. 1 men's doubles team in badminton, announced their determination to reclaim their winning form at the upcoming Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships. The duo will defend their title at the tournament, which is set to commence on Monday and conclude on August 23 in New Delhi. Seo is aiming for his third consecutive crown, having previously won the 2023 championship with a different partner, Kang Min-hyuk.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Seo expressed a forward-looking mindset, stating, "Although we won the title last year, whatever happened then is already in the past. We have to work even harder to win for the second year in a row." Kim echoed this sentiment, reminiscing about their previous victory and emphasizing their commitment to retaining the championship.
In 2025, Seo and Kim had an outstanding season, capturing a record-tying 11 titles at BWF international events, including their first world title together. However, this year has been more challenging. After victories at the Malaysia Open in January and the All England Open in March, they have not secured a top podium finish.
Their recent performances have seen them fall short, with semifinal exits at the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open in June. They returned to action in July, reaching the finals at both the Japan Open and the China Open, but were defeated by the Indonesian pair, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
Seo acknowledged the increased scrutiny from opponents, noting, "We know we have been analyzed and picked apart and we just have to figure out how to overcome this. I have been talking constantly with Won-ho about this and we think this is just part of the process of getting better." Kim also recognized the need to outmaneuver better-prepared opponents, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead and increasing their efforts.
To improve their game, the duo has been focusing on making their serves more unpredictable. Seo has also been training to handle taller opponents more effectively, bringing in taller training partners to better prepare for these matches. "Most of our national team teammates are not that tall, and so it has been a challenge trying to prepare for matches against taller players," Seo explained. "We brought in players from elsewhere to be our training partners, and they helped us practice smashes and net plays."